Moonlight Melee
by Moonlightwarrior
Summary: Mage battles, death, sorrow, and the Moon Court!!! It's your basic fantasy/Sailor Scout battle story with a few new characters of my own. Please R&R!!!
1. Introduction

Ok.here it is. The revised version of an earlier story. It may be hard to follow at first, but all will be made clear in the end. I promise. And, yes, Sailor Moon is in it, just not the beginning so bear with me. This is the first real story I've written so don't expect anything spectacular or publishing quality. Although I dream of getting it published one day. I am also is the process of co-writing a story with a very close friend by the pen name of Erin Jessica Durango. It is still in the first stages of writing and so will not be posted for a while. But there you go. So.now comes the part that is in every one's story or profile:  
  
Disclaimer: I DON'T NOT OWN SAILOR MOON!  
  
There, if I did, do you think I would be sitting in my ghetto of a house writing to you all? No, I wouldn't, trust me.  
  
~ Moonlightwarrior 


	2. Prologue

Prologue  
  
There was once a place, in a galaxy that lay far from our own galaxy the Milky Way. It was a place where a people identical to humans settled and made their home. They were so identical to the human race that the only reason that they weren't seen as brothers in skin was that they were a magical race, born with the mage talent: The talent, knowledge and control to wield, manipulate and use elemental mage energies. There wasn't a person on the small planet of Piccolo that wasn't a mage, however weak or powerful their talent. One more dissimilarity from their distant earthling ancestor was that they chose to mentally bond with an animal that also was magically talented. They called these animal partners, amiheava's. On the rare occasion a bonded pair soul-bonded, a bond that was so strong that that human and animal could not shield one another out of their thoughts or feelings both physical or mental. They were always together and could feel everything the other felt, however faint it may be, which had both advantages and disadvantages. The bond animal either had the mage gift or they had the gift to be a channel: someone/something that worked with a mage and can tap into the energy currents and feed the working mage with added energy. Usually mages chose to band to a bird like an owl or a falcon or chose an animal like a cat or a larger animal like a horse. On the rare occasion the more powerful mages chose to bond with the Tigers that their ancestors bread to have fur the color of the rainbow. But the Tigers would only bond to someone that was an adept in their talent. Piccolo was a place of power and domination where your talent classification determined how high you were on the social ladder. There are many different levels of the mage and channel gifts, but they are put into three main classes. The Journeyman-class have the weakest talent levels. Those with this level of talent can see, using mage sight (a second sight that, when allowed by the mage or channel, lets them see the magical energies that are ever present around them), the small to moderately strong currents of elemental energies. However they can only use/manipulate the smallest of those and only one element at a time in a spell casting. A Master-class mage can see the small, moderate and the weaker of the strongest currents of energy. They can only use the small and moderate currents of energy and are able to combine up to three different elements in a spell casting. An Adept-class mage is the highest class of the magic gifted. An Adept can see every line and current of power and also the nodes. A node is a place where one or more currents of energy intersect to mix and re-disperse the stirred energy; they are the source of the strongest of the energies available. Only the highest level of Adepts are able to tap into a node and at a high cost, when one taps into a node directly, the strength of that much magical energy bleaches one's hair and eyes of color. Their hair goes a snow white and their eyes go a liquid silvery blue color. This was a sign of prestige and power and one that even the stupidest of people recognized and respected. With all the power hungry people and animals, the tiny planet was a place where the strong feed upon the weak. A place where domination meant survival and social and political status. Piccolo in and of itself was a peaceful planet despite the personal mage wars that occurred once every 5 minutes somewhere on the planet. But the mage battles were only rivals competing for a higher social standing and were very official and closely monitored by appointed mages of Adept-class and thus completely fair and non offensive to either party. In the laws that were written long ago, so long that their creation was only a fairy tale but absolutely "the way, clearly stated that "no inhabitants are to use their strength or talents to hurt another". This included the bond animals and the half creatures as well. Abusing another being just wasn't done. But dark times had come to settle on the peaceful planet...and nothing was what it once was. 


	3. Reflection

Reflection  
  
Gaea sat in the big padded window seat of the second story window located in the front of her parents old Victorian style house, and watched the neighbor kids playing kickball in the street in front of the house. I wish that I knew how to play kickball, or at least had had the time to. She sighed lightly at the old, persistent wish and shielded her eyes from the sun that had decided to break free of the last bunch of morning clouds in the sky, momentarily blinding her. :Ah. Finally the sun decides to show its shinning face. Now I can bask in it's revealed warmth.: The white, silver stripped tiger shaped lump on the rug beside her raised it's silver sea blue eyes and yawned as the sun lit up it's freshly brushed, glossy coat. Gaea had almost forgotten that she was there. Almost. She could never fully forget that her amiheava, Athena, was there even if she wanted to. She and Athena had soul-bonded along with mind-bonding, and had done so at an early age. :You should go outside and work in the garden. It will do you a world of good. I just may be minded to go join you, Dearheart.: Gaea smiled at the pet name, and the thought of Athena actually working in the garden. She sent a mental picture of herself pulling weeds with Athena pulling weeds right along with her, gardening gloves and all. She laughed aloud at the expression on her bonded tiger's face. Athena responded to that by batting Gaea's foot that had fallen off the window seat, tickling the underside of her foot and making her squeal and yank it back up underneath her. Athena laughed and rose to shake herself of the invisible dust mites that had flown up out of the velvet cushion that Gaea sat on. "In a minute, Smallone. I want to watch the children a while longer to see if I understand the game better." She turned back to the window and looked down and waited as her eyes adjusted to the intensity of the light. In truth she wanted a little more time to think. Yes, she had spent too much time indoors this week. She had spent it cleaning the house. Her house, as she reminded herself for the thousandth time. She was scared to go out side again, not so soon after being attacked again. But by now she should be used to it. It wasn't the first time that she had been attacked after all. It was just her own stupidity that she was afraid of.  
  
A light breeze blew threw her hair and cooled the back of her neck as she walked home from the market. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the peace all around her. "That should have been your first clue! Open your eyes!!" Gaea thought at herself, uselessly. One minute she and Athena were alone, the next they were surrounded by five dark-haired males. She knew them well. They had all been friends as children at the Mage School and they lived in the same neighborhood and had played together since they were able to walk. But after the accident, they had turned against her. "It was your fault. Always has been, and always will be. And we do not think that you have suffered enough for what you caused. So..." said Basil, the leader of their little gang, as he signaled the rest to move in. She began to tremble, first with fear of what they planned on doing to her this time, then with suppressed rage for the reasons behind what they did. She blamed herself enough, wasn't that bad enough? Athena growled and flexed her fore claws as they came nearer. Gaea looked for a way out and saw none. Then she began frantically looking for someone to help her. But the town folks knew what went on and hid in their houses when Basil and his gang appeared in the streets. Cowards! There was nothing she could do, and they knew it. She had forsaken her mage talent after the accident and only used it for the most remote and necessary of shields. She couldn't even make a mage light if she had wanted, the most simple and rudimentary of spells. Her mindspeech wasn't strong enough to call out for help, even when it was strengthened by fear. "Damn." She whispered under her breath with Athena echoing the statement in her mind. She felt a hand on her right arm and turned to knock it off but was seized on all sides by other nine hands. Cold and cruel hands. Their eyes told her that they had come up with something new to do to her, and she went limp for a moment with fear. :Athena!: She had called to her amiheava in desperation only to receive the shared pain of crow claws in Athena's spine and knew that her captures amiheava's had gotten to Athena again and were in the process of immobilizing her so that they could carry her of and torment her so that the pain that Gaea and Athena would be double since they could feel everything the other felt along with what was being inflicted on them...  
  
Gaea opened her eyes on the bright outdoors that she saw through her window and wiped away the tiny rivers of tears that had been falling silently down her cheeks. She turned away from the window and stretched out like a cat, sliding down the velvet to fall quietly down beside Athena. She rested her head against the soft, familiar fur and stroked the head that curled around to rest on her stomach. The look in Athena's bright silver-blue eyes told her that she had been following her reflection and she almost started to cry again. :When will it stop?: Gaea asked. It was really a rhetorical question since she knew that Athena had no better idea than she did. :I don't know, Dearheart. But I don't think that you should worry about it too much, they know not what they do.: She answered, then added. :But next time I won't allow my guard down, so we'll know when they are coming at us and we might be able to do something about it. I haven't been having you train in fighting for nothing, you know.: Gaea looked once more at the lump in her lap and forced a smile. But what she got in answer to that fake smile made her really smile. Athena had sent her a mental image of her beating the five then finally kicking Basil in the unmentionables and having him double over in tears. They both had to laugh at that and didn't stop until they heard a knock at the front door. Silence. Gaea shot up and bolted for the door as Athena scampered across the wooden floor to the back door. They had seen this trick before and wouldn't fall for it a second time. She sent a mental inquiry to Athena and got an affirmative. She opened the door only to find a small child at the door. She recognized the boy as her neighbor, Ernest. "Hello, Ernest," she said as politely as possible. He was a nice boy and was one of the only people in the town who actually checked up on her from time to time. He was thirteen now and taller than she. With big brown eyes and sandy brown hair, he looked down on her with nothing less than friendliness. "What brings you to my front door?" She asked showing Athena who it was, but warning her to stay there and make sure it wasn't a ruse. "I heard that you were attacked again coming home from the market, and I wanted to make sure you were all right, and everything. And to see if you needed anything." He answered with nothing but sincerity. Gaea was an active empath; she could sense other people's emotions. Her gift of empathy was something that she could not afford to give up. So, she smiled and replied: "Well I'm not sure. Would you like to come in? I made waffles this morning and I know that there are at least three left. They're blueberry..." Blue berry waffles were his favorite and she always had some left over for him to have. Sometimes she would make two batches just so that he could take some home to his family. They weren't as rich as her parents were (as she was now, since she had inherited everything) and they could only afford fresh fruit once a month when they were paid. Blueberries were especially costly and something that he desired. She saw his eyes light up when she mentioned them and he strode in through the door that she held open for him. While he still had his back turned, she made a sweep of the vicinity of her yard for anything that didn't belong and found nothing out of place. So she shut the door and followed the boy into the kitchen to heat up the now cool waffles. When they reached the kitchen, she found Ernest already heading for the single seat at the small kitchen table. She smiled and retrieved the waffles from the counter and placed them in her wood-burning oven. They were warm in no time and he took them gladly. They sat and drank freshly pressed orange juice and basked in the afternoon sun and just enjoyed eachother's company. When Gaea looked back from the window, she saw Ernest looking thoughtfully at her. "What is it Ernest?" she asked, very curious at his expression. He set his empty glass down on the table and looked her in the eyes. "Do you remember any more of your past before the...well...you know." He said a bit cautiously and regretfully. He knew how the memory affected her, but no matter how gently anyone put it...  
  
The hole in their protections was resisting the repairs the group of 20 mages was attempting. :It shouldn't be doing this, should it?: She heard herself asked her amiheava. Athena had only shook her head, which Gaea then named Alexia, felt mentally. She turned all her attention back to the task at hand. This type of working would fail or backlash if one person faltered. She must not be the week link. People already doubted her because of her age, she was 7 years old this year and already an adept-class mage. Her hair hadn't started bleaching sliver yet, but the young took longer to bleach out. :Shouldn't our replacements be here? I'm getting tired and a tired mage is a dangerous mage.: Just then she felt an interjection in the magical link between her and the mage at her right. Relief was here at last. She opened her eyes to see her teacher's son standing there waiting for her to give over her position to him. He was 10 years her senior and used to workings like this. She smiled and stepped back and waited for him to link with the mage on her left. She felt him grab hold and test the strength of it and nodded to her. She released and turned on her heal and walked slowly away. Home, eat and sleep were all she could think about. She sent a mental inquiry to her mother and father and got the affirmative, they were in place and working, she was free to go home. They trusted her. She sent her thanks on a wave of love. Aside from the mage talent she had the gift of empathy. She felt their love in return and she continued on her way. She was nearly home, she could see their white picket fence when she felt the whole world around her serge with mage energy. She would have fallen if it hadn't been for Athena at her side to support her. She immediately turned her attention to her shields, she had to inverse them. She poured her remaining energy into her many layers of shields. She began to feel more stable and stood up on her own. She could tell that the elemental energies that normally existed calmly all around them were swimming now in a torrent of fury. She sent a questioning tender of thought to Athena and what she got in return was panic. Though she was shielded from the other mages and their amiheava's, Athena was in constant contact with the other bonded animals. Fear, panic, pain, confusion and any number of other emotions flooded Alexia and she looked up just in time to see a great flash of light in the sky where she had been working only moments ago. "NO!" She heard herself yell. In that moment she had let her shields down just enough that the backlash of energies hit her like a physical blow knocking her to the ground. A tsunami of pain and anguish threatened to drown her. She felt the cries of 25 of her friends and fellow mages as they, one by one, died as the whole in the shield protecting their city sucked them dry of their internal stores of energy. She began to reach out to those still living to give them her own energies to keep them alive, but the dragon got her too. More slowly than the others because of the distance, but it got her in the end. She was almost on empty, she had to stop. She pulled her self out and just sat there and "watched" what was happening with her mage sight. She watched her teachers, neighbors, and friends be sucked of their very lives. She knew that there was nothing that she could do now. Nothing could stop the dragon that had been unleashed. This had happened twice before in the history of her people, and twice, no one had lived to see the sun rise again. All that had happened in about a minute. Inside that one minute, it had felt like and eternity. Now Alexia thought that she could take no more. Her shields were starting to crumble and her body was exhausted. She wanted to die with the rest of them. Then a thought occurred to her...her parents! They had switched in to take their turn with the working moments before she had switched out. :Mom!!! Dad!!!: She screamed out into the sea of turmoil. :MOM!!! DAD!!!: She searched and searched among the waves of thoughts and emotions for the familiar ones of her beloved parents. Just when she was about to give up she caught a hint of her mother's stubbornness, then her father's strength. There! She found them and cried aloud for they were side by side, fighting a losing battle with the dragon. She sent a wave of love and anxiety and longing. Her mother caught it and sent a tiny thought back. :Leave baby, you shouldn't be anywhere near here. You're to young to see such a disaster. Turn your thoughts and attention away from here. I love you, and so does your father. Nothing in the Universe can ever change that. Remember that. Now go!: She felt the sincerity in those words and felt the love behind them. She mentally backed away but did not leave quite yet. She didn't want to leave her parents. They, and Athena, were all she loved in the world. With out them she would surely cease to exist. Just at that moment, the dragon lashed out and grabbed her father, draining him of everything, making her mother more venerable. It stretched its claws and took her mother in another deadly hand. They tried to squirm their way out, but it was useless. Alexia screamed and reached for them physically with a useless out stretched hand. They might as well have been on the other side of Piccolo; she could not reach them. She saw her parent's faces. Twisted and distorted by pain and anguish. Their bodies twisted in awful ways trying to rid themselves of the toxic grasp unavailing. Alexia watched her parents be sucked dry and die an excruciating death. She felt her heart being torn to shreds as two of the three things in the world that she loved and held dear to her heart were exterminated like cockroaches. She pulled her mage sight back and opened her eyes to see people that had been walking down the street doubled over or crying out. She too was crying. She could take it no more, she began to pull her awareness inside her self. She would hide in a corner of her mind until the blessed day that she died. Then she felt something warm and full of love, gently licking her face. She looked up and through the tears to see Athena in front of her gently licking her tears away. Alexia threw her arms around Athena's neck and the love that she felt was overwhelming and it filled all the spots that had been drained when the dragon had wretched her parents away from her. She looked up from their embrace and into her bonded's sapphire blue eyes and lost herself in the love and companionship that was twinkling in those eyes. She knew that, with Athena at her side that she would live and be happy again...  
  
Gaea blinked and shook her head. Those memories came flooding back in a second and left as quickly as they had come. "Nope, the only thing before then that I remember is my last class in the school. Before that...blank." She sighed and took another sip of her tea, finishing off the cup and taking it and the one that Ernest had used to the sink and rinsed them out. She decided that she could wash them later. Athena came into the room and was tackled by Ernest's wolf amiheava, Dima. Athena was caught off guard, just as Dima had wanted. The two lithe forms tumbled out of the kitchen and rolled around play fighting as their bonded's laughed. A little while later Ernest and Dima bid them fare well with their basket of warm blueberry waffles in hand, leaving Gaea and Athena alone again. "I really like him and his family. I enjoy being able to have someone besides you to talk to." Gaea said as she turned away from the door and walked back to the family room where her dance floor and mirrors were. She was so happy that she walked over to the bar that was mounted on the wall in front of the mirrors and began to warm to dance. She hadn't had the energy to dance in a long time and it felt good to be doing something that she loved once again. Since she renounced magic, she couldn't do things like she use to when she was little. Now it was all physical labor and exhausting work to do what once took a little mage energy and a few muttered words. Athena was warming up and stretching too. When they were finished, Gaea turned to Athena. "Ready beloved? Think you can keep up with me this time?" She said mockingly. "The question is, Dearheart, whether or not you can keep up with me." And Gaea leapt into a series of leaps and turns as Gaea followed feeling a bit more like her old self. 


	4. A Battle Lost

A Battle Lost  
  
Two days later, Gaea was out in her back garden. Her mother's favorite rose bushes were getting a little over grown and their beds needed to be weeded out very badly. The sun was hot on her back and there was no breeze to stir the sticky air that hung all around her. Athena was standing guard somewhere out of sight. Gaea had her hands on a very tough dandelion when she felt the one thing that she dreaded...hate and anger. Her attackers were here, on her property. :Athena...in the house...: She spoke to her amiheava in thoughts and now feelings. She amplified what she was picking up and projected it to Athena. She gave a mental nod and began to creep closer to Gaea without disturbing any of the plants that were concealing her. :I can hear them now, how did you know? I have better hearing.: Athena said concentrating on keeping herself hidden. :I renounced my mage talent, not my gift of empathy. You know that!: Gaea said a bit acidly. Then she felt something at her leg and glanced down to see a white paw. :I wish that the bond between the amiheava's hadn't gone with the protections. They wouldn't be doing this if it had stayed.: Athena said absently. Gaea continued as she had been, hiding the fact that she knew that there was intruders in her home and that Athena was sitting at her feet waiting to protect her when the time came to do so. But fir now...their strategy was the surprise factor. :Should I call Dima for help?: Athena asked. Athena's mind-speech was allot stronger than Gaea's had ever been. :Umm, let's wait and see what these freaks want this time.: Gaea said feeling very ready to take them on this time. But wait what was this? One, two, three, four...: Athena, where is the fifth? He was in the house with the rest of them a minute ago! Where is he?!?: Gaea began to panic on the inside. :Settle yourself, Dearheart, calm down and widen your empathetic senses. He's here some where.: Athena said in the most soothing voice possible. Gaea visibly relaxed a bit and pretended to work at a root while she broadened her empathy. :There! Basil is behind the fence it my right...Crono is to your left up that tree.: she sent a mental picture of the approximate spot of the hidden crow amiheava. Gaea could feel the blood flowing in the paw that now rested on her foot, Athena was poised to attack. Then the unexpected... There was a whoosh of air and blurred colors that whizzed past her left shoulder then the pain as something sharp penetrated her fleshy upper left arm. She had to hold back a cry as she felt one of the things hit its target in Athena's chest a second later. Then another hit Gaea in the right leg with a sickening wet "thud". Their enemies had figured out their weakness...their bond. Gaea and Athena thought that they had hid it well enough in the past, but maybe not. Obviously since Gaea could feel the pride that was radiation from Basil at his success. :They must have out two and two together. Damn!: Gaea said as she pulled the darts out of her shoulder and leg carefully. She looked at it then almost tossed it on the ground but something compelled her to hate a closer look at them, they looked different from normal darts. Sure enough, the needle was hollow and still oozing an odorless liquid. :Shit!: Athena and Gaea said at the same time as they realized just what it was. The drug was a popular one with rapists and criminals. It knocked the victim out completely for several hours. That was it. They were going to fight back while they were still conscious, and this time they weren't going to play fair. They had had enough of the torture and abuse. Athena leapt into the air and Gaea headed in the direction of the house in Athena's footsteps at a dead run. She burst into the back door, as she heard a series of whistles from behind her, Basil's signals for the attack no doubt. She kept running despite the whistles. Finally she reached the room she wanted. Her work out room. There were no real weapons of any kind in here, but plenty of things that she could make into weapons: chairs, the mirrors, a bench, the portable ballet bar...so on. She stood in the middle of the room and looked around memorizing the position of everything in the room. She would need all of it, and knew it. She only had a little while longer until she would be totally out and unable to defend herself. She could use the little healing power that she had discovered she had while training her gift of empathy. Then at least she could stay coherent long enough to fight a good battle. She heard foot steps coming down the hall way and saw Roger run past and heard his swear and turn around, yelling to his buddies her location and soon she heard them all out side the door and saw Basil step in after a short conference, in which Gaea used to school her face into an impassive mask. "What? Too scared to fight back?" He said in a mocking tone, which made her all the more frustrated, but she kept her cool and waited. She would use her skill of looking innocent and frightened to her advantage, for underneath that mask was a demon waiting to be unleashed. "I thought so. Come on boys, she's not gonna hurt us. We can take her like we did all those other times, maybe even play a little bit afterward." He said looking straight into her eyes. That last part scared her enough that when he rushed her he almost got a hold of her. She side stepped at the last moment and shook her head slightly to bring herself back to the real world and out of her torrent, thought filled mind. :Athena...we're in trouble...Call Dima!: Gaea whispered mentally. Her mindvoice was colored purple with anxiety and tinted white-sliver with fear. All five of the boys walked in slowly with looks of greed, lust and long built anger. Their emotions were so think in the air that she felt almost suffocated. She took an involuntary step back from them and ran into Athena who had taken shelter behind her to mindspeak. It wasn't that it was hard for Athena to mindspeak others, it was actually as easy as normal talking for her, but she was shielding her cry for help from the 10 harassers in front of them. The 5 boys and their 5 identical wolverine amiheava's advanced on the 2 hapless victims who were taking steps back to chose their position and make it look like it was out of fear. She backed her in a corner where there was a sturdy little stool that she could use as her first weapon. There was a flash of brown and another of blue on her left that resolved themselves into one of Basil's cronies, Brock, and his wolverine amiheava Peter. She stooped quickly standing up with the stool in her hands. She swung the small, sturdy thing at Brocks head while Athena swiped one of her massive paws and knocked Peter on the floor. Gaea's swing hit home. A great crack resounded in the room as Brocks collarbone cracked and shattered with the impact that the seat of the stool had given. That was it, with one man down and blithering on the floor, Basil gave the signal and the remaining four lunged and held as they each in turn gave her a piece of their minds and hearts with great blows with their knees and fists. Athena was in no better shape. She received painful blows from a crow and four wolverines. Gaea feverently tried to defend herself and ended up receiving more blows than she was able to give. Her whole body burned and ached but she would not give up, this was her battle and she would try her best to beat them. She knew that she didn't have a chance. They were so much bigger than she was and more powerful. She and Athena were losing and they knew it, but fought on as best they could. Luckily it wasn't too much longer before there was a crash that echoed in the big house and voices yelled for Gaea and Athena. The boys and their bonded stopped and looked from one to the other. The dropped Gaea and Athena and ran for the kitchen door and to safety. Helping their wounded friend along. Gaea had no voice left to yell out for them. She mustered all her remaining strength and sent out a wave of fear and pain colored red and white that they could follow even if they weren't empaths. Athena felt this and roared as loud as she ever could after being pounded in the throat. Gaea could just hear them at the edge of her quickly fading hearing. She was losing the battle against the drug and fast, she had no more energy to keep her awake and she knew it. :Smallone...: Gaea struggled. :Please tell Ernest and Dima thank you for me...Tell them what they want to know...I can't...: She couldn't continue. Everything was getting darker and fuzzy as she faded off into a warm, dark land of deep sleep. The last thing she remembered was a pair of blue eyes that matched her own and a feeling Athena wince as she tried to move closer to her. After that, it was loneliness. 


	5. Absence

*Authors note: The names of the characters have been changed to the following: Gaea - Rhian I think that that is all.Thanks! Absence  
  
The day was bright and warm with a cool breeze drifting in through an open window opposite the bed that Rhian lay in. It had been 2 days since the attack and there was no sign of the boys or their miscreant bond animals. Rhian thanked the Five Great Elements that she and Athena were alive. Had only slept for six hours, but those six hours had seemed like an eternity. Even now she didn't have the strength to get out of bed more then three times a day to relieve herself. Athena helped her tend to the personal needs while neighbors, at the request of Rhian's good friend Ernest, cooked for her and tended to all the house hold chores that Athena couldn't take care of. She lay there in her bed and concentrated on healing herself. There weren't any broken bones, but there were a lot of bruises and a shattered rib joint that was obtained when one of the boys, Rhian didn't see who, grabbed the stool from her and smacked her in the middle of the back right where her rib connected to her spine. There, thankfully, was no nerve damage, but she still couldn't move without crying out in pain or racking sobs making it hurt worse. The doctor came around everyday to make sure that it was healing properly, but other than that it was up to her to heal her body and mind on her own. At one point right after she woke up in such a torment of pain that she passed out several times before actually staying awake enough to swallow some pain killers, she had talked briefly to Athena mind-to-mind, it was easier than actually trying to form words, but she had to shield herself heavily so that Athena didn't feel too much of her agonizing pain. :I wish that they had killed me this time.: She said struggling to form every word in her mind. Her energy was low and talking in any form was exhausting. "No you don't, Dearheart." Athena replied in a soft musical voice. Athena's mindvoice always "looked" like the Aurora in the Earth's Arctic night sky. She had seen a picture in a book that she found at the library one afternoon when she was 6. It was colorful and soothing. Her voice in person sounded like music put into words. I was often soft and carried undertones of her emotions. Athena knew this and used it now to her advantage. "What good would have come of it?" She asked, itching to reveal her deepest secret, one that only Rhian's parents and all those involved with them before they escaped their deaths and came to Piccolo knew about. Diana had known, but when she renounced her mage talent and changed her name after the accident, she lost the memory and the knowledge. That was one reason that Athena always pushed her to use her talent, the more magic she used, she more of her memory would return. Rhian mumbled something in response to Athena's rhetorical question, but Athena didn't hear what it was. Time is running out for us, The Dark One is back and has found two mages with greater power than the last. I fear that we have little time. A matter of years maybe. Too soon for me and the rest. I must be on the alert. Oh, Rhian...Diana, please see my reasons, the Universe is going to need you as it needed your mother and father. Just then Athena got an idea. There was a prophesy made many thousands of years ago...Rhian was in the state of mind where anything that she heard would be committed to memory and filed away to rise to the surface once again in the future. "Like mother, like daughter. Warriors of the heart and defenders of the flesh. One will fall, the other will defeat, the next will conquer and abolish. Rulers of the earth, sky, and life. All three will live and die and take up their task or the end to Light will come and Darkness will reign." Athena whispered the words that were ingrained in her memory, as they were in Persephone's, Rhian's mother, and her soul-bonded dragon, Darwin. These words had been passed down a long line of women and their amiheava's over thousands of years, each always waiting for it to be fulfilled and yet dreading it in the same thought. Now it was time for Rhian to follow in her mother's footsteps and fulfil her part of the prophecy. Athena shook her head again and sighed. When does my job get easier? :It doesn't.: Came a familiar voice that echoed in her mind like a bouncing ball. Dima had entered the room with Ernest. Athena nodded and replied. :I know, I just wish that it would. Rhian stresses me out sometimes...I take that back...she stresses me out pretty much all the time!: Athena slid gracefully onto the floor and padded over to where Dima had flopped down onto the floor, and Athena followed her example and lay down next to her. "How is she doing?" Ernest asked Athena, his eyes not leaving Rhian's face. He held on of her small delicate hands in his own strong one gently, stroking it lovingly with his thumb absently. Athena blinked in surprise. Why hadn't she seen it before? He was in love with her! Huh! She shook her head very slightly to bring her attention back to his question. "Better, much better. She can walk on her own now and she even walked down stairs today to make me breakfast." Athena said proudly. The food that the old woman next door was making was either burned or undercooked and Athena was a picky eater. Ernest nodded not really hearing Athena speak. He gazed down at the sleeping girl. She was so beautiful, just like her mother. Her father hadn't been bad looking either. He felt a twinge of pity for her and it was quickly snuffed when she moaned and rolled over to open her eyes. He felt like he was going to drown in those eyes...so blue... "Hi" she said blinking to clear the sleep from her eyes. He smiled, wanting more than ever to be able to kiss her soft lips. But he didn't dare. What would she think? I don't think that she even likes me other than a friend...damn. He had had these thoughts many times over and always came to the same conclusion...we're just friends. His heart sank a trifle as she sat up and covered her self with her sheet. She began to shiver and he longed to crawl in the bed beside her and hold her to keep her warm. Then kiss the life back into her so that they could... :ERNEST! That is quite enough! She is an empath you know!: Dima shouted telepathically, making his mental ears ring. :Right...sorry.: He blushed and Rhian gave him an inquisitive look mixed with surprise. Had she detected his feelings toward her? Did she hear what Dima had said? Dima had yelled awfully load after all. To his surprise, she smiled, scooted over in her bad and patted a spot next to her, indicating that he should sit. He stood there in shock, not able to move. She smiled again even bigger this time and squeezed his hand and gently pulled him toward her onto the bed. He sat and looked at her, looked into her deep, endless blue eyes. "Euh..." He started but was hushed by her lips planting a gentle kiss on his. "You have been very good to me and I thank you." She said. Ernest still couldn't believe what she had just said, and was even more surprised at what she said next. "If there is anything in the world that I can do for you, never hesitate to ask, never." She said this in the most serious tone that she could possibly have said it in. He seemed to snap out of his surprised shock and nodded to indicate that her heard her and understood. He loved her even more at that moment. Oh my stars! He's so in love with me that he practically glows with it...well, I will just have to do something now. :Athena dear? Should I? He is so kind and gentle. I really wanna...: She said plaintively. :Well...Dearheart, do what you think is best. Dima and I are quite comfortable with you two.: Athena said and Rhian snuck a quick look over at the two amiheava's. They both nodded and she looked into Ernest's eyes. He looked as if he had just had the same conversation with Dima. She leaned closer to his face as he did the same. Their lips touched with a fiery sensation of passion that neither of them had felt before. There was no room for coherent thought as their mouths meshed and their minds tentivly touched one another's. Rhian opened her mouth at Ernest's tentative tongue. He slid it into her warm mouth. She tasted sweet and full. She pressed her tongue into his and they had a battle to see who's tongue was the swiftest and strongest. Her hands were full of his sandy brown hair and his were busy caressing the small of her back, holding her against him. He sent an inquisitive thought tendril to Dima and got an affirmative. He slid one of his hands up her back, taking the nightshirt with it. She pulled away from him. Oh no! He thought, but was surprised when she helped him pull the thing off and threw it onto the floor. She then quickly removed his shirt and ran her hands over his toned chest. He looked down and took in the sight of her milky chest. She was beautiful. He kissed her on the mouth and started a trail down her jaw and neck, ending up on a hard nipple. He massaged it with his tongue and lips until she nearly cried out in pleasure. He then did the same to the other until she began to sob with passion. She, with surprising strength, rolled him over onto his back so that she was onto of him. Her silken undies grazed his swollen manhood as she slid her tongue down his abdomen. The lower she went to more he felt his groin tighten. He wanted her so bad now that he nearly ripped off his pants when she began to pull at them. She hocked her hands on the elastic bands of his boxers and gently, sensuously, pulled them off and tossed them forgotten onto the floor. She looked at the swollen shaft and bent down to kiss his inner thigh, avoiding contact with his privates. She moved ever closer and Ernest softly moaned in protest when she stopped just before reaching the ever-hardening shaft. She moved to repeat the process on the other side of his thigh. She stopped just before she reached the now bulging skin and slid her body back up to take his mouth in hers. She reached down fingered his head causing him to shudder beneath him with pleasure. She stroked his manhood as he writhed beneath her. Finally he couldn't take it any longer. He rolled them over and supported him self so that her would not crush her. Stripped her of her panties, almost ripping them in the process and plunged into her tight entrance. She let a scream of pleasureful pain escape her lips when he entered her. He let her adjust to his size and didn't start thrusting until he felt her force her hips up harder to his to plunge him deeper in her. He rocked his hips on top of her, slowly at first, taking pleasure in her moans and squirms. Then the rocking became more short hard thrust as they both began to climb. As they neared their peaks, their hips crashed together in rhythm and moans could be heard from both their lips.  
  
Athena was having a time of it. She could feel everything that Rhian was. She was having the same experiences that Rhian was. Athena got up and left the room before she pounced on Rhian and Ernest. She shut herself in the sitting room on the carpet. Away from Rhian it was easier to control the urge to jump something, but she could still feel everything that they did. God I wish that Dima was male right now! Was her last thought because up stairs...  
  
Rhian's lip was bleeding because she had bitten it in the process of trying not to scream aloud. She gave up as she climaxed. This, of course sent Ernest over the edge and he climaxed as well, inserting his seed inside her. They continued to trust for a minute then Ernest sank down besides Rhian panting as hard as he did when he ran 10 miles. She was breathing even harder than he was he could see her chest rise and fall as she lay next to him. Minutes passed until they finally had their breath back. She rolled over and settled herself into his warm arms. She was happy, and also very tired. That had taken all the strength from her. She curled up against him and fell asleep to his shallow, heavy breathing. 


	6. Sudden Death

Sudden Death  
  
It had been a year since Rhian had woken up next to Ernest and they had been dating ever since. If they were a year to two older, they would marry. Rhian had not been attacked once since she had slept with her lover and she was blossoming. She was stronger than ever and loved every minute of everyday. Especially when Ernest was there. Athena was glad that Rhian was happy, but something in the very deepest pit of her heart and soul told her that this was wrong. Rhian needed to gain back her Mage talent and take up her destiny. This simply would not happen. But there was, after all, still 4 more years to worry about it. So Athena went on in life happily sharing Rhian's bliss.  
  
One morning in mid-June, however, the table turned on Rhian and Ernest. Their paradise was about to be turned into a living hell.  
  
The morning sun was streaming in through the bay window of the master bedroom that Rhian now lay in next to Ernest. His parents were more than happy to let him spend the night here if it wasn't a school night. They had other things to worry about what with their 2 oldest daughters (twins) getting married. So from Friday to Sunday, they slept together in the large bed that use to belong to Rhian's parents, sharing nights of passion and lust long cuddles and play fights under the covers. Life was good. Rhian could feel Ernest's steady breath on her back and smiled when he tightened his grip on her wait a tiny bit when she started to get up. She rolled over and saw that he was awake. His bottomless brow eyes starred at her with all the love in the world. She kissed him and winced a bit when her back protested to the turning movement. Ernest frowned. "What's wrong?" He asked, genuinely concerned about her well being. "Nothing, it's just my back. That little move I did last night wasn't as easy as it looked." She laughed as she saw recollection flash in his eyes and he smiled. He had liked that move very much, truth tell, so did she. "Here," He said sitting up. "Massage?" He asked. He knew that she wouldn't resist. He was wonderfully talented when it came to massaging. She sat up allowing the thin sheet that had been covering them, slip down around her waist, giving him a brief look at her full chest. He smiled at her back and started to rub away the knots. Once all the knots were out and Rhian could move without wincing once again, Ernest let his hands travel other places as she turned to present him with kisses of thanks.  
  
An hour later they were laying covered in sweat, snuggled in each other's arms. They were quite content to just lay there all day, but apparently other people had other ideas. :Rhian...do you sense that? Someone is here...in the house.: Athena said in almost a mental whisper. Rhian went ridged and she felt Ernest tense behind her as Dima warned him to leave Rhian alone and not panic. Rhian shut her eyes, which had flung open in surprise when Athena had interrupter her thoughts, and concentrated hard on her gift of Empathy. Yes...there are five human somethings and five animal somethings...Oh my... :Athena! Get up here now! They're back!: With that said, Rhian leapt out of bed and threw on her clothes which littered her floor. Wordlessly Ernest followed her example and ran around putting on his disregarded clothing. They had just finished dressing when Athena and Dima came bursting in and shut the door behind them. "Rhian, it's them..." Athena said verbally, panting form the run up the stairs to the third floor. She spoke out loud mostly for Ernest's sake. "Basil and his idiots...they're here and they look different than last time..." Athena seemed to be groping for words, but failed and sent them a mental picture of what she had seen. :Shit: Rhian said rather loudly as she realized what it was that made then different. "They have been building themselves up this past year...If they were any buffer, their clothes wouldn't fit. Shit, we're in BIG trouble." Rhian fought back tears of exasperation. Why are they after me? IT WASN'T MY FAULT!!! She asked herself, not expecting an answer. "Rhian, what are we going to do?" Ernest asked looking very pale from fright. He was on the other side of the bed from him and he looked a few years younger at that moment. She felt sorry for him, for she knew what Basil was planning on doing. His emotions were as clearly felt as a slap on the face. :Athena, I should have never brought him into my life. I should have realized that Basil wasn't going to leave me alone. Why did I...: But anything more that she wanted to say was cut short by her bedroom door flying open and five menacing males walked in through the door way looking very scary indeed. Rhian leapt across her bed and was standing in Ernest's arms in once swift movement. Basil cocked an eyebrow at this and strode foreword to stand towering over the two of them, the other four males standing in a semi- circle behind him. Athena and Dima were in a corner, surrounded by the five wolverines who were snarling and making no effort to hide their malice. Without a word, Basil and his gang launched themselves at Rhian and Ernest, Prying them apart despite their great efforts to cling to one another. Athena and Dima made moves to help their bonded, but were kept at bay by the wolverines. They were helpless to their bonded, the worst feeling for an amiheava because they were here to help and guide their bonded. Basil, Brock and Peter were heaving Rhian onto the bed. They threw her onto her back, Peter and Brock had a hold of an arm and leg each as Basil climbed on top of her to straddle her. The remaining two had a hold of Ernest and were holding him back. "NO!!!" Rhian and Ernest yelled in unison as the plan unveiled before their eyes. Ernest fought harder to get to Rhian, and Rhian fought with all her strength to get free. But despite their great efforts, they couldn't free themselves. Rhian began to cry, blurring her vision just in time to keep her from seeing Basil unzip his pants to expose his erection. Ernest cried out in protest and insult as the two that were holding him held him at the side of the bed so that he was forced to watch what was going to happen. This wasn't part of the original plan, but it would make their revenge even sweeter. Basil was ripping off Rhian's clothing that she had put on only moments before and was roughly caressing her womanly curves. He grabbed her jaw in one of his powerful hands and forcefully kissed her hard on the lips forcing his tongue into her mouth. The tears were rivers now. How could he even think about doing this! But at that moment she felt an immense pain and held back a cry as Basil thrust in her and started rocking back and forth on top of her, not allowing her time to adjust...not that she needed much. He wasn't that big, if she wasn't in her current position, she might have laughed. She could hear him start to groan and Ernest was still yelling at them to stop. The tears were still coming and she was frantically thinking of ways to get out of this and dismissing all of them as hopeless. :Athena! Help!: Rhian cried frantically, thinking that her bonded would have a better idea of what to do. :Magic! You are a mage! And a very good one at that! You have to use that talent to get us out of this...ALL OF US!: Athena yelled that last phrase hoping against hope that it would be enough. It was. Rhian relaxed and closed her eyes, trying hard to shut out everything around her. She saw Athena in her mind as a silvery misty tiger surrounded by a golden aura. :Follow me.: Was all Athena said. Rhian followed in her mind. They plunged deep into the very corners of her conscience. A dark warmth surrounded them both. Finally Athena stopped and pointed with a gold-silver paw and Rhian saw what she was indicating. There was an orb of writhing light, the whitest, purest light that Rhian had seen. :That is what I did with your mage talent. I hid it from you when you asked my to burn it out. I knew that you would need it someday and not just for defense. There is something that I have kept from you, you use to know it, but after your parents died, you forced the memory away. Now is the time that you remember. You must remember...: Athena was looking very solemn as she said this. Rhian was at a loss for words. :Touch the light, let it flow through you, welcome it. You will remember, I promise.: If Rhian hadn't trusted Athena with her very life, she would have laughed and backed away as quickly as possible out of her mind. She had never been this deep into it before. She took a step foreword and reached out a hand to the glowing sphere. It was oddly cool, but when she touched it and it did indeed fill her. She could feel it flowing through her entire body, becoming her entire being. The light surrounded her and it was all she could see besides, Athena standing beside her smiling. Then she opened her real eyes and found that Basil had stopped his raping and was looking at her. She smiled. It felt so good to have the power back. She had forgotten how whole she felt having all that power with her. Her smile broadened as she saw the fear rise in the boys' eyes. Ernest looked simply bewildered at what was going on. Everyone in the room was a mage, which meant that they could feel the powers spring into existence when Rhian accepted them once again. She sat up and calmly shook off the arms that held her with a shiver of power. She walked over to her dresser and put on some clean clothes. That's when the room transformed into hell. Basil leapt at her and sent a shower of lightning bolts at her. She put up a deflecting shield and sent them back at him. He had to jump over the bed just to avoid them. She sent spears of white-hot light at Galen and Roger who still had a hold of Ernest. They let go and Ernest sprinted to stand to the right and slightly behind Rhian. "I'm gonna channel more power to you." He said simply, indicating that she should shield for both of them. She nodded in response because what happened next took all of her concentration. First Basil made a sword of pure mage energy, colored red with all his anger and hatred. The others soon followed suit and made blades of their own. Each blade differed from the others. Wide, thin, long short, curved, straight, jagged. Basil's was serrated on one side, like a bread knife. The blade fits the mage. Rhian thought as she fashioned a blade of her own. As she spent her energies, she felt them being replaced by the energy that Ernest was feeding her. He was now sitting on the cushioned window seat so that he didn't fall to his knees from concentrating on his channeling. Rhian was very grateful to him. She sent him her love on a small thought of thanks as a two and a half-foot long, double bladed sword appeared in front of her. The hilt was made of twisted and knotted silver strands. The whole sword it's self seemed to flow with gold and silver light; gold being for bravery and silver for determination. The six of them just stood there at the ready for several minutes. Rhian had the impression that they were making plans (speaking through their amiheava's since none of them could mindspeak if their lives depended on it) and silently assessing her and her newly awakened powers. :Dearheart, please be careful. We need you, and not just here...trust me on that one.: Came Athena's cool, musical voice, now sounding a trifle worried. Rhian sent her a smile and a questioning tendril of thought. "We need you and not just here"? What was that supposed to mean? But Basil took that moment of her destruction to start his attack. Basil lunged straight for her middle with the other four following around the sides. Rhian thanked her father and mother for giving her sword fighting lessons when she was little. She had gotten so good by her sixth birthday that she could beat her teacher with her eyes closed and one hand tied behind her back. But that hadn't come at a small price. She had had to practice at least 2 hours a day six days a week. Now, that long lost skill was needed, and she called upon her memories to intsruct her to do what her body used to do out of instinct. She disarmed Galen and Leo, on her left, almost immediately and slashed backhanded at basil who had to leap a fair distance out of the way. Then she wounded Brock and Disarmed Roger. They quickly rearmed and were back in the battle. Basil was taking the point in-between her strokes to attack her. But she was ready with a quick flick of her wrist, it was no longer a point between, but a new source of strength. That had been a talent that her teacher hadn't taught her, she had figured that one out on her own while practicing with her parents one day. They had decided to both lunged at her at the same time and she had defended both their blows with that move. But her hidden talent wasn't impressing and surprising them anymore. Their swords were now pulsing red and had a stream or two of silver snaking their way around the blades that flashed before her eyes. Lunge, slash, pivot, slash, pivot, parry, pivot, parry, lunge, pivot, parry... She was concentrating so hard on trying not to get herself killed or wounded that she didn't notice when Basil slipped away from it all and crept behind her to the window where Ernest was still dutifully feeding her power from his own stores to replace the power that she lost trying to defend herself. Suddenly the room echoed with a scream or searing pain and anguish. Rhian was so startled by it that she almost forgot to block a blow that would have decapitated her. Her anger flared and she sent a wave of enormous power that threw the four young men that still fought her back against the walls across the rooms. Then she came out of what her mother had called a 'fighting trance' where she shut out the rest of the world and only saw, felt and heard who (or what as the case maybe) she was fighting at the time. But When she had flung her enemy away and out of her danger zone, her regular senses came back and she felt the pain that she had heard in that scream. She almost doubled over her middle, where the pain was the greatest, before she shielded herself and looked up. Basil was standing over a tear stricked Ernest, his mage sword sticking through Ernest's mid section. Leaving him in a slowly, dying, pain-filled heap of skin. Rhian screamed and quickly threw a spell at Basil's sword that sent it flying out of Ernest and it disappeared in midair. Then she sent Basil flying as she had his "friends", he landed at the feet of the trembling Galen who looked down at his leader both shocked and nervous. Rhian ran to Ernest and rolled him over so that he was lying on the window seat on his back. She looked into his hazy eyes and knew that he was already dying. She felt hot tears trickle down her sweat covered face as she grasped his hand and he squeezed it trying to relieve him self of the pain that had been inflicted on him. :Athena!!! Is there anything that I can do? I mean it is...: :Not your fault.: Athena replied firmly. :Yes, show him that you love him until the moment after his soul had left this house. He will die happy.: Athena shed a tear for her bonded and for Dima. Athena and Dima had become practical sisters since they couldn't mate when Rhian and Ernest slept together. Their friendship had become s tight as Rhian and Ernest's relationship had. Rhian could feel the sorrow that Athena felt and her won sorrow was doubled from their bond. She could also feel two sets of pain: Ernest's and Dima's. Dima felt what Ernest did and so she was to die if he did. An amiheava didn't exist without it's bonded, they simply disappeared the very same second that their mind, heart and, on occasion, soul bonded human died. The two soul would float together up into the sky to live in and among the stars, smiling down at all their loved ones. Ernest was dying mow and he needed her to be strong for him and Dima. She felt a nudge at her calf and she obliged and moved over, seeing Athena support the female wolf amiheava made the tears stream even harder down her face, but she fought them back so that she could see her lover and be there for him. Rhian picked Dima up and placed her next to Ernest so that they were touching. Then Rhian took Ernest's right hand in her own once more and sent him a tsunami of all her feelings for him to wash him over and replace to pain and fear that would accompany his death. She felt Athena add to it as she did the same for Dima. Ernest looked up into her face and smiled. Rhian could feel him returning each and every one of her feelings. Then he blinked a few times and squeezed her hand with obvious weakening strength. "I love you Diana called Rhian." He said filling his very words with the feeling that he was proclaiming, that there was no mistaking it for what it was. Rhian smiled wider and said, in a voice to match his, but obviously stronger. "I love you also Ernest...more than you will ever know." Two matching tears streamed down each of their faces. Then as if falling suddenly asleep. He lay his head down and closed his eyes and Dima disappeared as Ernest released his last breath. Complete silence hung in the room as the six remaining humans and six amiheava's felt Ernest's soul present in with them for a short second and then in was gone, forever. In that short second that Ernest's soul hung in the room, Rhian felt a cool hand caress her face and she smiled for him one last time. Then they were gone. 


End file.
